This invention relates to irrigation controllers, and more particularly to a single-or multi-station controller which is inexpensive and easy to program, and which uses only a minimal set of pushbutton controls and visual indicators to carry out and indicate relatively complex programming functions.
A large variety of controllers are commercially available for controlling the automatic operation of irrigation sprinklers in residential and industrial applications. These controllers vary in complexity and cost all the way from single-station, battery-powered units with few programming options that are mounted directly on a water valve, to complex, computer-programmable wall-mounted units capable of operating a complex irrigation system with many stations that require different operating parameters. Existing controllers are generally complicated and time-consuming for an unskilled owner to program. This causes many home controllers to be set once upon installation, and not to be periodically readjusted to fit changing conditions.
For this reason, and also because of the price consciousness of most homeowners, a need exists for both a single-station and a multi-station controller that is simple and inexpensive, powers up with a useful default set of operating parameters upon installation, and is simple to set to different parameters at any time.
The present invention fills the above-described need by providing, in the first two embodiments described herein, a multi-station controller with three actuators such as pushbuttons that select, respectively one of a set of predetermined combinations of water cycle length and repetition rate (i.e. the number of days between watering cycles); a start time-of-day; and a manual operation. On power-up, the inventive controller defaults to a generally appropriate cycle length, repetition rate and start time, which can then be changed by pushing the buttons. Alternatively, with an extra button as shown in the second embodiment, the watering time for each station can be set individually.
Operational parameter settings and controller status are indicated in the inventive controller by a set of simple indicators such as lights or light-emitting diodes (LEDs), preferably at least one for each cycle (in the first embodiment) or station (in the second embodiment), which convey information by their combinations and actions (e.g. scrolling, illumination, flashing and/or blinking).
If only a single station is to be controlled, as in the third embodiment described herein, the functions of the controller can be performed with only two pushbuttons, by using one or both pushbuttons.